♪ quarter man on dw. >> these are the stories making headlines -- the international community welcomes a guilty verdict against the former president of liberia, charles taylor. commission says hosni mubarak's last prime minister can run for election after all -- egypt's electoral commission. >> we have not seen this since

the end of the second world war -- an international court convicted a head of state. >> thursday, judges at the special court for sierra leone found the former liberian president guilty of war crimes. >> the court said that the war lord sponsored a rebel group in sierra leone's civil war response will for murder, rape, and slavery. i return, taylor was paid with illegally-minded jules known as blood diamonds. -- illegally mined jewels. >> after year of deliberating the evidence, the court found he was personally responsible for court to crimes committed by the sierra leone rebels. >> the trial chamber finds that the accused was aware of the crimes committed by forces against civilians including murder, a deduction of civilians, including children,

rape, amputations, and looting. >> the atrocities caused by uncontrolled armed gangs are run the worst in recent history. taylor gave them weapons and other support while he was a involved in peace talks. >> the evidence established that the accused was engaged in arms transactions at the same time that he was involved in the peace negotiations, publicly promoting peace as the negotiations while privately providing arms and ammunition. >> the prosecution welcomed the verdict, which is the first of its kind in almost 70 years. >> today's historic judgment reinforces the new reality -- that heads of state cannot hide behind their positions, that they will be held to account for war crimes and other international crimes. the judgment of firms that with leadership comes not just power

and authority but responsibility and accountability. >> the court will announce taylor's sentence on may 30. the 64-year-old warlord turned president will serve out his prison term in britain. >> we will have more on the verdict against charles taylor coming up later on in the show, but now to germany. it was 10 years ago today that a school shooting rampage left the country in shock. >> on april 26, 2002, the 19- year-old killed 16 staff and students at his former school before turning the gun on himself. in memory, the bells of all churches in the city rang out for five minutes. family and friends of those killed and former students took part in the commemorations held at the gutenberg school, the scene of the incident. german lawmakers have begun hearings on a neo-nazi sell that committed at least 10 murders without being discovered for years. >> the committee wants to know

why law enforcement failed to follow-up on tips pointing to neo-nazi involvement in some of the cases. german and international specialists said as early as 2006 that the killings probably had racist motivations. for more now on the story, we are joined by our political correspondent. john, the committee of inquiry called the first witnesses today. did anything surprising emerge? >> the extraordinary lack of coordination and even communication between germany's various police and intelligence services. the first witness today was the head of the task force in bavaria where most of the murders -- well, five of the murders -- took place. he gave evidence today that when his task force realized that probably the murders were committed by neo-nazis that he appealed to the federal police to take over the case, and they refused. he appealed several times as the

evidence firmed up, and they repeatedly refused. at the same time, he asked the bavarian intelligence services because the intelligence services in germany, like the police force, are organized on a state to state basis -- he appealed to the very and intelligence services to give him a list of names of people in the nuremberg area where most of the crimes had been committed, who fit the profile that his team had drawn up. he waited months, he said, before he got that list, and he had to ask for it repeatedly. >> what made the task force change its mind concerning the motivation of these killings? >> that is another extraordinary thing. the profile they drew up was extremely accurate -- astonishingly accurate. it was only one point -- in retrospect a fatal point -- where they went wrong. they assumed the killer was living in or around the city of nuremberg because that is where the majority of the bavarian murders took place. that was not the case. they were living just across the

state border. but he got this list i mentioned from the intelligence services of some 116 possible people who fit the profile, to some extent, and they painstakingly, the bavarian police, went through that list of people. when they drew a blank, which, of course, they would do, he then abandoned that line of investigation and followed the alternative second one that it was the result of gang warfare. >> ok, our political correspondent on the case for us. thank you very much. in a minute, we will have the latest business news for you. >> first, a quick look at some other stories making news around the world. pakistan's supreme court has convicted the prime minister for contempt of court. he refused to reopen a corruption case here after the announcement, the opposition called for his resignation.

m in norway, tens of thousands of people turned out to sing a children's song in protest against a mass killer, anders breivik. he said he hated the solid "children of the rainbow," claiming that it was marxist propaganda. he admits massacring 77 people in oslo. he is currently on trial in norway. and synchronized suicide bombings have killed at least six people in the nigerian capital and a northern city. they targeted officers of a newspaper. no one has claimed responsibility. well, there are lots of uncertainties leading up to the presidential poll in egypt, but what is now cleared the last prime minister under hosni mubarak will be running for the top job.

>> it is expected to be a tight race, and many voters are undecided. the world will also be watching to see whether the egyptian uprising has brought about change. >> the head of egypt's electoral commission with the list of 13 candidates cleared to run in the presidential poll. among them, the last prime minister under hosni mubarak. only two days ago, he had been barred from standing. he is seen as one of the top contenders for next month's vote and can expect support from secular voters, as can the man who served as foreign minister under mubarak. both have ties to the military and the ousted mubarak regime, which are seen as a handicap. on the other side is the rival islamist camp.

another candidate being watched is the former member of the muslim brotherhood who was expelled from the crew. he also appeals to secular supporters. both are seen as moderates but are vying for votes from the more radical solophists. their candidate was disqualified because his mother has a u.s. passport. so far, the race for the presidential palace looks open. egyptians do not know exactly what they are looking for. the country is still waiting for a new constitution, which will spell out what powers the new president will exercise. >> a german pharmaceuticals giant says it is increasingly confident about its business after a strong first quarter. >> the company says its agrochemicals business and its health-care division performed particularly well in emerging- market such as china. record sales in the first 15 months and a surge in net profit of just over 1 billion euros.

volkswagen posting strong results for the first quarter of 2012. europe's biggest auto maker brought in 3.2 billion euros in profit, nearly doubling its results from the same time last year. >> they got a big boost from sales in china, offsetting the slow business in europe. >> germany's biggest lender, deutsche bank, says bottom-line profit dropped by 1/3 in the first three months of the year. it blames weak market conditions. >> deutsche bank said net profit in first quarter amounted to 1.4 billion euros, down 33% from a year earlier. the news surprised and disappointed investors, but the bank also says results are solid considering the caution that remains on global financial markets. it was a mixed day on european exchanges. >> some equities did manage to regain a bit of ground. the german dax was among the winners. the your stocks 50 leading

eurozone companies was flat. the dow jones has been putting in a much better performance. the euro trading for $1.3235. a german consultancy firm says it is about to set up a european ratings agency to compete with the u.s.-based giants. >> munich-based roland berger says it has gathered enough financial pledges from european banks and insurance companies for the project to go ahead. it will be independently run and receive no public funding. the big three u.s.-based agencies -- standard and poor's, moody's, and fitch -- have been criticized for rating u.s. securitized dealt in bonds as top-notch but classifying euro sovereign debt as high risk. the european union says it may take germany to court over a controversial data log. the case could cost berlin fines of more than 30 million euros. >> the row is about a directive ordering states to store records of people's phone calls and e-

mails. germany's justice minister is having none of it. >> who made what call and who mailed home? that is information at the center of this row. the eu wants countries to store all the data for six months to help fight crime. germany's interior minister agrees, but he's locked in a battle with the justice minister seen here on the right. he wants long-term data storage only a concrete suspicions are raised. allies are annoyed. >> a lot of time spent in brussels drawing up directives. once they are agreed on, they have to be translated into law. we expect our citizens to follow the law, and we expect no less from the justice minister. >> dispute is part of wider jostling in the coalition. the fdp is playing down the threat from brussels and says the eu directive puts basic

freedoms at risk. >> to brazil now where the laws protecting the world's largest rain forests may soon lose some of their teeth. >> congress has adopted controversial legislation that eases the rules on the amount of forest farmers have to preserve on their land. and the german president is expected to veto the bill, which could ignite a fight with congress. amities members are among the last. it is estimated only about 450 of the hunter-gatherer's remain in brazil's amazon rain forest. human rights campaigners say their home is being destroyed at an alarming rate to make way for farming. now the process looks set to decelerate after deputies in the lower house voted to ease land- use regulations. the new legislation would reduce the amount of forest that farmers have to preserve. supporters argue the changes would improve farm sector

investment. >> the new land use code represents security for producers that will have more stability and more political support. production in the environment will only benefit. with a confused law, there is no benefit. >> opponents say the changes amount to amnesty for illegal forest clearing in the past. they say the bill will open up new expenses of rain forest to agri-business. >> brazil is the fourth biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. but unlike other countries, we in it the gas not because of industry but because of deforestation. over the years, we cracked down on illegal forest clearing, and yields still rose. by cracking down on the loss, we are on doing that. >> indigenous people fear they will be among the first victims if the bill is signed into law. >> we will be back in one minute

with more news, including more on the war crimes charged -- trial of charles taylor. >> and store about efforts to make the chernobyl nuclear power plant safe. don't go away. >> april 1, 1992 -- the launch of deutsche welle's 24-hour television service. dedicated journalism, a reliable source of information from the german and european perspective. 20 years of topical satellite television -- a continuing success story here on dw.

>> welcome back. the conviction of charles taylor sends a warning around the world leaders who persecute their people. >> and international tribunal has found the ex-president of liberia guilty of war crimes. >> human rights activists say this is a watershed in the fight against impunity for leaders responsible for atrocities. >> charles taylor was still president of liberia when he was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity in 2003. for the previous 14 years, the former warlord had been a key figure in some of the most influence magic infamous conflicts in recent history. the charges taylor has been found guilty of stem from the civil war in neighboring sierra leone. taylor gave financial and

logistical support to a group called the revolutionary united front, which aimed to overthrow the sierra leone government. ruf gangs terrorized the population. their leaders have been convicted of war crimes. charles taylor was finally arrested on the run in 2006. formerly one of west africa's most powerful men, he was taken away in handcuffs. his trial began a year later. >> this is a significant event for international criminal law here for the first time, we are seeing a trial against an african head of state, or, for that matter, any head of state that has been completed. it was not a given. heads of state enjoy diplomatic immunity, but that immunity was broken. so we see that even a head of state cannot be held accountable under international criminal law.

>> so far, that has applied in particular to african heads of state. sudan's president has been indicted for war crimes by the international criminal court, as has libya's. while many welcome it, others feel the system is unbalanced. than the africans have regally complained that the icc is to trade on africa and that the court has not indicted anyone from anywhere else in the world. it strikes many as a form of neocolonialism, as if europeans are using alternate means to recover their loss of control of africa. >> judicial investigations into atrocities committed under international law are still a relatively new thing. charles taylor is the first head of state to be convicted by a united nations-back court, and it is likely he will not be the last.

>> the southeast asian nation of burma has been under international sanctions for decades, but the eu and the u.s. are easing restrictions, recognizing historic moves toward the -- towards democracy. >> ideas prompted a flood of foreign investors looking for the next big business deal, but aid agencies are also interested in getting into the country. >> the grapes are being harvested in the mountains in northeast burma. this is one of only two vineyards in the country. its wines are for the domestic market. it may not meet international standards, but the vineyard provides jobs and security for dozens of locals. and the founders and shareholders who started this are all from germany and all over 60. they were not interested in making money. they love the country and the people and wanted to help them, so we are bringing wine here. >> one of 130 expensed in burma

has been with the venue for 15 years. the wine is expensive but sells well. initially, there were problems for the country's military rulers, but since 2010, that has changed. >> we suddenly noticed there were new ideas. reporting was different in newspapers. suddenly, there were critical articles, which we have never seen before. and many burmese hope for more openness, and they hope the world will send a political signal by ending international sanctions. the military regime has withstood the diplomatic pressure thanks to a -- two reliable supply lines, but the sanctions have symbolic importance. >> the country is more and more been.

>> only a few international aid organizations are active in burma, but some projects depend on them, like this orphanage. after the death of its founder, a former schoolmaster, donations from local dried up. >> we have in come, but in -- not enough for the children. we welcome for them to come here. >> for the past two years, this german aid organization has supported the orphanage with money, equipment, and medical care. computers are the latest delivery, and courses are open to all youngsters in the region. the buildings house around 100 orphans, as well as other children who come to study. but she operates with almost no legal protection in burma. aid workers also hope for an end to international sanctions.

>> the biggest advantage would be having more legal security, and if there is a democratic government which allows more aid into the country, it will be much easier for all aid organizations, not just us. >> burma is still for and underdeveloped compared to its asian neighbors -- still poor and underdeveloped. the government has introduced recent reforms. recently, there have been elections. now, many are hoping the international community will reward these tentative steps towards democracy. that i was 26 years ago today that the reactor at the chernobyl plant exploded, one of the world's worst nuclear disasters. >> ceremonies have been held in ukraine to mark the occasion. flowers were laid for those who died in the explosion and from the effects of nuclear radiation. least 28 rescue workers died of radiation sickness in the first few months, but many thousands more have died since. >> ukraine used the anniversary

to begin construction of a new shelter that aims to permanently secure the disaster site. >> ukrainian president pressed the symbolic start button at a safe distance from the contaminated plant. this year's anniversary was used to launch the billion-0 construction project to properly contain the site. >> the word chernobyl has become a synonym for nuclear disaster in every language. the catastrophe here changed the world. >> on april 26, 1986, one of the nuclear plant's reactors exploded during testing. the fire set highly radioactive smoke into the air. tens of thousands of workers were ordered to take part in the cleanup operation, putting their lives at risk. they remove radioactive debris and built a makeshift steel and concrete covering. the hastily constructed sarcophagus has since developed cracks and is leading radio activity. the new permanent arch covering

will be assembled 200 meters away and then slid into place over the existing sarcophagus. >> i too would have been too dangerous to work directly next to the reactor because of the radioactivity. that is why we chose the solution. >> some 40 countries have pledged money for the new shell, intended to last for 100 years, but the damaged reactor underneath will continue to limit radiation long thereafter. >> do you hate getting stuck in traffic or trying to find a parking spot? if you have a car, that is. you would probably be a fan of the latest innovations in the electric cars. catching on, but that is notme- stopping german innovators from working their magic. >> the wheels of this electric car can turn independently of each other. they can even move in a 90- degree angle, making the smallest of parking spaces accessible. the size can also be adjusted or

an extra compartment added to take more luggage. developers at the research center for artificial intelligence wanted to create a car that could adapt to the needs of its owner. >> we want to fold the car, have it drive sideways and turn on the spot. we also want the 700-kg two- seater to have extension models that can be added to increase functionality. >> this intelligent charger developed by an intelligent company is already in widespread use. it not only charges the car -- it also shows the cars energy consumption. getting all european car manufacturers to agree on a common standard for the plug was not easy. >> the technical side was close to our heart, as plugs are our speciality, but the political aspect was more difficult. we had to approach many parties in europe and relatively small firms, it was a tall order. >> electrical cars are

gradually increasing in popularity, but the technology still has plenty of room for innovation. >> ok, to some sports news. i'm sure you would have heard about real madrid's glorious exit from the the. spanish side took a lead in the spanish side match from wednesday, but opponents did not let that upset him. >> the bavarian giants summon up all their might to oust them in what ended up being a nail biting penalty shootout. the germans have arrived back home -- in need of a bit of our non -- r &r. >> the squad of the planet unit there were tired from a game and apparently a hard night's party afterwards. [applause] making it to the final in unit itself is a fulfillment of a dream for the fans, and everyone was asking the players what their next move would be.

>> we have made it to the final. we just need to win one match, and the champions league is ours. that is our biggest bowl. an interest in the match on may 19 is huge with 1 million ticket requests. stadium has a capacity of 66,000. them all right. that is it for now. we will see you again in about an hour. >> if you need to get your hands on more news, go to our web site -- www.dw.de. about captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--